BY FORTUNE MBELE
SINCE Bulawayo Chiefs were promoted to the topflight league in 2018, they have maintained dominance over giants FC Platinum at Luveve Stadium as the two sides clash in their fifth league match at the same venue tomorrow.
The three-time Castle Lager Premier Soccer League champions FC Platinum have returned home to Zvishavane empty-handed each time they visited The Ninjas at Luveve.
In their first year in Zimbabwe’s elite football league in 2018, Chiefs met FC Platinum in the seventh round and upstaged the miners 2-0 at Luveve, before they went on to lose the reverse fixture 3-1 at Mandava Stadium.
Chiefs returned to their fortress in 2019 and once again beat FC Platinum 1-0 at Luveve in February, but were on the receiving end when they hit the road to Mandava, losing 3-0.
In 2020, all sporting activities were banned due to the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic and that also affected football.
The Ninjas were then under Thulani Sibanda, who parted ways with the club this season in the midst of the Chibuku Super Cup group stages, and brought in Mark Mathe on an interim basis before the arrival of substantive coach, Portuguese national Nilton Terroso.
It remains to be seen if Terroso will continue that feat, which birthed the signature “giant killers” for Bulawayo Chiefs, who in their two seasons in the top league gave seasoned campaigners Dynamos, Highlanders, Caps United and Chicken Inn torrid times in their games.
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The Ninjas are unbeaten in their first two league matches, in which they beat Triangle 1-0 at Luveve and played to a goalless draw against new boys Cranborne Bullets at the National Sports Stadium under the Portuguese gaffer.
Billy Vheremu, who scored the solitary winner against Triangle, is The Ninjas’ man of the moment and was named the club’s player of the month for November.
Chiefs also have goalkeeper David Bizabani, skipper Malvin Mkolo, Warriors striker Farau Matare and Arthur Musiyiwa, a target for many big clubs before COVID-19 struck.
The Norman Mapeza-coached FC Platinum are buoyant after lifting the Chibuku Super Cup by beating Ngezi Platinum Stars in a penalty shootout in the final at Mandava Stadium last month.
They have been merciless in the league, pacesetters in their first two games after thrashing Tenax 6-1 and then riding 2-1 over Chicken Inn, with both games played at Mandava.
Mapeza has shown trust in young players such as 19-year-olds Thandolwenkosi Ngwenya and Oscar Bhebhe.
Innocent Mucheneka, Donald Teguru and Brian Banda have also been doing well at the platinum miners, who are eyeing their fourth successive league title under Mapeza.
- Follow Fortune on Twitter @fmbele
